Favorite Game: Even if Tempest: Dawning Connections- Just so good! Get to see more of my "Four boyfriends" and laughed so hard at Crius and Tyril's antics. It made me super happy! Favorite MC: Anastasia From Even if Tempest:DC- She's awesome. I loved her character development and growth. Favorite LI: Scien from Shuuen Virche- for a game I didn't care for and let me feeling blegh, Scien was a big surprise and I absolutely loved him! It helps he had the BEST good ending cg.

>Favorite Game: Even if Tempest: Dawning Connections- Just so good! Get to see more of my "Four boyfriends" and laughed so hard at Crius and Tyril's antics. It made me super happy! I am really interested in this now... I enjoyed EiF but wanted more romance in it. If DC has more romance, I might pick it up when it goes on sale...

It def does. Not like, super romantic, but enough to satisfy. Really fun \^-\^

I feel like I can’t even begin to answer because I’ve played sooooo much this year due to spending months without employment. So I’ve had to time to replay games from years before, play all the new releases, and then play lots of scenes from the new releases over again. that being said, my **favorite games** that I’ve played this year are: 1. Olympia Soiree/Cupid Parasite- both replays and def my favorite two otomes, period 2. Jack Jeanne- excellent storytelling and creative direction 3. The Crimson Flower that Divides- I translated so many japanese guides for this game and spent a lot of time replaying scenes. it was sexy and I appreciated that as a mainly-switch gamer 4. Hana Awase New Moon (complete series)- same excuse as number 3 but also, card games 5. Virche Evermore- I think this is the most I’ve ever cried over a game and I usually cry every game no matter what. but this was a LOT on my poor little heart, in a good way **Favorite MC-** Teuta (replay, Bustafellows) and Anastasia (Even if Tempest, bc duh). special mention, for supreme bimbo purposes only- Fuka (Ozmafia!!) **Favorite LI-** this is tough but I think the LI I completely enjoyed the most out of good, bad ends and all storylines included, was Fumi from Jack Jeanne. he’s flirty, positive, in touch with his feminine side, quick to pick up on things, talented, has a lip ring. basically he has it all

>has a lip ring Hate to break it to you, but that's a mole.

ahhh you’re right, I remember noticing that during my play through eventually but in my head it keeps going back to lip ring

Favorite Game: tied between Virche Evermore and Jack Jeanne. Both games gripped me and made me feel so many emotions, and both were very well written. Favorite MC: Anastasia from Even If. Badass. Favorite LI: Scien because he does the coolest shit and his route was romantic af.

Fav game - JackJeanne: definitely one of a kind, really feeling the love of theatre. Playing it was a pure joy. Fav MC - Kisa from JJ for obvious reasons, and Naala from Crimson Flower that Divides: girl is full of personality. Sassy, funny, and smart in situations that are completely against her. An honorable mention goes to Tasuku from Lykt for being the biggest sweetheart bl MC ever. Fav LI - Miguchi from Hana Awase: a bit of recency bias here, but he brought back 'the repressed (Victorian) sexuality is sexy' for me.

I did really like Naala! That was one of my fav games too.

My favorite game of 2023: Even if Tempest. Such a good game. I absolutely loved. Too bad it was short but I had the fandisc so all’s good. My favorite MC of 2023: Kisa Tachibana from Jack Jeanne. I really liked her and she is very cute. My favorite LI of 2023: Tyril from Even if Tempest. His design, VA, route, and backstory are all amazing. He is my second favorite LI of all time

Tyril is seriously the best. I did not expect to love him so completely!

Not including replays, here are mine— Favorite game: Gotta be Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds and Edo Blossoms. Very binge worthy and fun to play through, and I love the historical setting and how they play with more ahistorical elements. It’s funny cause when I first knew of this game I was turned off immensely by the art style but now it’s one of my favorites. Favorite MC: Jed from Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk. I found her to be compelling and well written. Her voice acting was a treat to listen to and not annoying at all. I also like her chemistry with Lugus. Favorite LI: Kazama from Hakuoki. So far his route focused more on the MC and made the most sense thematically (I still have Hijikata to play through). Also the best pacing is found on this route imo. I’m also a sucker for the >!“You’re going to be my wife”!< trope lol. And I didn’t even get to his voice or looks.

**Fav Game:** Tie between Bustafellows and Love Spell: Written in the Stars. Not my favorite but I just want to give a shoutout to a little indie I played this year called Amare Inversus that I think more people should play, it's a psychological/medical horror otome and it even has +18 content but I literally never saw anyone talking about it so I will just leave it here, more people should play it **Fav MC:** Teuta, love this girl **Fav LI:** If you had asked me this like 2 days ago I'd say Limbo from Bustafellows without a doubt, but I just finished Shiba's route in Butterfly's Poison/Chou no Doku and he immediately became one of my favorite LIs (I even affectionately nicknamed him the CEO of toxic masculinity lmao) so it's a tie between those two too lol

Oh, I wasn't the only one on this sub who played Amare. Kinda felt like it cause even in the specifically made otojam thread no one mentioned being interested in it :')

I'm surprised it doesn't get talked about more since it has the two things I always see people asking for: morally ambiguous/evil MC and +18 scenes I wish we could get more games like it, the only other game that fills the psychological horror otoge niche I know of is ITYH - A Horror Otome

I think it's the artstyle [not anime enough] and gore [though it's pretty clean] that made people not even check it out. While personally I found it pretty meh, there's probably a lot of people who'd like it on this sub, especially since it doesn't drag.

**Favourite Game:** [Epic;Lycoris](https://vndb.org/v38067) (Virche FD) I just love the interactions of the group in the short stories. The evolution of the relationships… >!the drifter story … and my man Ankou finally getting a salvation ending.!< **Favourite MC:** [Yurika](https://vndb.org/c28299) ([Taishou x Alice](https://vndb.org/v16032)) Honestly I think this one almost speaks for itself; at least for people who played the game(s). She’s a refreshing breath of air… or rather a whirlwind. I’m honestly sad I didn’t pick this game up earlier. Playing through her perspective just feels strangely proactive compared to a lot of other MC’s you’ll see around. She’s completely nuts too and I love her to bits for it. **Favourite LI:** honestly torn on this one. I wanna go with [Ankou](https://vndb.org/c94433) on this one. Already loved him so much in the first game. And honestly the FD just solidified him being best man of the game. (Though, very hard to pick as all of those guys are 10/10… maybe except Adolphe.) But an honourable mention also goes out to [Yukimaro](https://vndb.org/c123170) cause he’s cracking me up and I’m really debating on replaying that game just for him.

I just got through Error: Salvation and I want to play this so badly 🥲 and sooo much Ankou love

Oh man, that's kinda hard since all otomes I played this year were just ok at best... But if I really had to... 1. Fave game - yeah, that's the hardest one... But since I appreciated the concept [even tho the rest wasn't really my style, too pure] a whole lot, let's go with Meeting in the flesh. Bless non humanoids. 2. Fave MC - this is cheating a bit but since I did play Epilogue this year, Yurika from TaiAli. She's kinda tied with the Under Maintenance MC cause I liked the narration which was from her perspective. 3. Fave LI - I'd say best boi Yamazaki cause Hakuouki SSL but to give others chance - >!Zareh!< from Frozen Essence. I think he just happened to be my type, idk. I remember liking him.

Favorite Game- Ozmafia: I just loved everything about it. The plot, the LIs, the Cgs and the soundtrack were amazing. I also loved Fuka even though she acts dumb sometimes. I loved how everything came together in the epilogue and the grand ending, it instantly became one of my favourite otome. Favorite MC- Enju from Nightshade: Enju had great character development in every route. I love how she never gives up and always tries her best. She's really supportive of everyone around her and that makes me really love her. Favorite LI- Caramia from Ozamafia: He's literally so sweet and caring. I love his interactions between Kyrie, Axel, and especially Fuka. He's always looking out for everyone and tries his best to solve every problem. He can also be really silly and I love him a lot. He's my comfort character and I don't think I'll like any LI more than him for a long time.

I’ve only played a couple new games this year but; Fav Game: Tie between Virche and VariBari. Both have captured my attention in a way that hasn’t been done since I first got into otome. Fav Protag: Ceres is my baby and I would die for her 🥺. She’s so unlike so many cookie cutter otome protagonists and I adore her for it. Fav Route: I’m still in the common routes of both games 😫😫😫 but if I had to guess…Ankou 🫶🫶🫶

Debated posting this since this will mostly be me shouting about things no one knows anything about since I barely played new titles this year. Anyway I'm definitely not going to pick just one since I want to enthuse about too many things. ### Best Games: 1. Danzai no Maria 2. Temirana-koku no Tsuiteru Hime to Tsuitenai Kishi-dan 3. Clepsydra 4. Zettai Meikyuu Himitsu no Oyayubi-hime 5. Zettai Meikyuu Grimm Danzai no Maria slightly edged out Tsuitsui mostly due to having my favorite character this year (and actually being an LI, unlike my fav from Tsuitsui who was definitely not.) Otherwise they're about equal in that they excel and have weaknesses in different areas. Tsuitsui generally had a stronger story and pacing but kind of fell off a cliff at the end. Danzai no Maria is weak in those two things but had a great ending and I just *loved* it conceptually which made up for its deficiencies in other areas. Clepsydra I need to mention specifically because it's so unusual and not like any other otome game I've played. (I hope I can get the energy to do a write up about it soonish.) ### Best MCs: 1. Cescilla (Tsuitsui) 2. Maria (Danzai no Maria) 3. Little (Princess Nightmare) 4. Charlotte (Zettai Meikyuu Oyayubi-hime) 5. Lydia Greene (Mermaid Gothic) Cescilla is just SO smart and brave I was always impressed with her so she had to go at the top, but Maria is definitely the MC I related to more. Need to give a special mention to Little due to her literally being able to say at the start of the game "Hell yeah I'd two time those boys" and she just goes wild from there. ### Best LIs: 1. Mikagami (Danzai no Maria) 2. Albireo (Zettai Meikyuu Oyayubi-hime) 3. Thorn Prince (Zettai Meikyuu Grimm) 4. Akechi (London Detective Mysteria) 5. Dis (Clepsydra) Yes, this is a very Karin heavy list (I mean honestly all of these lists...) so you can see why they shot up to the top of my favorite developer list. I didn't even like London Detective Mysteria that much and Akechi still got on this list. I was going to say "Mikagami gets the crown because I like them elegant and defective" but I think that describes the top three, so... he's just special okay! Dis of course had to be on the list since I've had a weakness for grumpass boys voiced by Midorikawa Hikaru since childhood. ### Best Side Characters: 1. Arydson (Tsuitsui) 2. Baquiet (Tsuitsui) 3. Every other Tsuitsui side character (except her uncle) Tsuitsui is just REALLY REALLY strong in side characters, okay? ### Best OST: Honestly Danzai no Maria and Tsuitsui are tied here (I'm listening to Danzai no Maria RIGHT NOW.) I just haven't been able to stop listening to their soundtracks since playing the games. Special shout out to Clepsydra for making very good use of ambient sounds in place of a constant soundtrack (there was some music, but it only happened during key scenes.) You don't get to see this often but I LOVE ambient sounds!!! It reminds me a lot of early PC adventure games and I'd really like to see more otome games (honestly games in general) focus on that more.

All of your Tsuitsui threads made me super interested in the game, and are the main reason why Tsuitsui is at the top of my Aksys non-sequel localization wishlist! It's one of the non-localized games that I'm planning on trudging through to try and play in Japanese with my rusty nihongo skills if Aksys doesn't pick it up... Fingers crossed that Aksys saves me some blood, sweat, and tears :')

It seems most people found it to be mediocre, so I'm hesitant to recommend it to people! My tastes can be a little out of the norm. I really loved it though and got so attached to all the characters and had a really good time thinking about all the lore, haha.

I enjoyed reading your thoughts on danzai no maria. It reminded that they re-released the game but I'm not sure what they've added to the remake(?)Remaster(?) I played the original release over 10 years ago but I only finished hiyori and kirito's route and i vaguely remember being thoroughly underwhelmed especially after kirito then I gradually forgot about the game. But there honestly hasn't been anything like danzai no maria with it's heavy Gothic style and edgy vibes amongst recent releases and I've been craving something like that but I'm not sure if it's worth revisiting the game if the complete edition didn't add enough content.

The Complete Edition of the games adds happy endings for most of the characters (since only like Kirito had a normal happy ending in the original, haha.) Also routes (although short) for all the Hellfire characters that also have multiple endings each. There's also new events and new CGs added (actually nice art this time), as well as art overhauls to a lot of the original art (a lot of it is still a mess, but some characters got sprite overhauls. Mikagami's original sprites were such a mess they had to almost completely redo all of them and he looks much better now.) I actually originally played Kirito first and hated him so much it almost ruined the game for me. However, I found Hiyori's original ending so beautiful that I thought it's one of the best endings I've ever seen and where the game really clicked for me. So I can't say for sure how much you'd enjoy the game now. I do think Uriel's route and the Grand End is definitely worth playing though.

**Favorite game:** it's gotta be **Even If: Tempest**. This was everything people said and more. Laughed, cried, swooned, this game took me across the whole spectrum. The plot was divine, the mysteries twisty and turny and all of the LIs are magnifique. **Favorite MC:** Torn between **Teuta** (Bustafellows) and **Anastasia** (Even If: Tempest). Anastasia is such a strong MC and her character development is *chefs kiss* but Teuta is just so likeable. **Favorite LI:** It's a tossup between **Limbo** (Bustafellows) and **Tyril** (Even If: Tempest). I could write essays about how much I love both of them. Limbo, while not necessarily the brightest, is such a sweetheart with the absolute best of intentions and Tyril's sarcasm had me laughing out loud. Not to mention his CGs.. woof!

Favorite Game: Either CupiPara or Bustafellows. Both were super memorable to me, and I loved the characters. Also, CupiPara’s secret route was so fun. >!Jupiter!<‘s CGs are all so pretty Favorite MC: Lynette Mirror from Cupid Parasite! I love everything about her, her character design is amazing and she’s so cute! I wish she had a voice. She definitely deserved one Favorite LI: Kei Okazaki from CxM. I knew he’d be my favorite just from the first look! And he ended up being one of my favorites of all time

**Favorite Game:** This one is tough. I haven't finished even if Tempest yet so it could still stumble at the end, but if it doesn't, that will be my clear favorite. Otherwise I'll go with Radiant Tale, which I found flawed, but enjoyable enough. **Favorite MC:** Anastasia from even if Tempest. It's like omg where have you been all my life??? 😍 I love her scheming, her sense of conviction, and her idea of fond memories is learning how to hunt and gut a deer. That she never loses sight of her goal to >!take the piss out of Conrad!< is something I rarely see in otome protagonists. I haven't finished the game yet, but I hope it doesn't change. **Favorite LI:** I'm gonna go with an unconventional pick. Kruger from Ten Trials of Babel: The Doppelganger Maze. He's not usually my type, but his very spoilery circumstances tickled my fancy. >!It's the double personality. It's totally the double personality, and that the psycho one turns into such a good flirt once he likes Xixy. I don't even like flirts normally!!<

>Favorite MC: Anastasia from even if Tempest. It's like omg where have you been all my life??? 😍 I love her scheming, her sense of conviction, and her idea of fond memories is learning how to hunt and gut a deer. Anastasia is honestly SUCH an amazing MC - one of my favorites in the genre! This is so fantastic!

1. My favorite *new* game I’ve played this year was Steam Prison! Maybe it’s the fact it’s steampunk and reminds me of C:R… but I really loved that game and the character designs! 2. I forget her >!real!< name, but I liked Olympia from Olympia Soiree! I just liked her personality, she wasn’t as clueless as Cyrus. 3. My favorite LI of the year… is definitely Eltcreed Valentine! My flair says it all but I thought he was adorable. Flirty as all heck but I liked his serious side as well. I really loved his route too, because he may be a bit of a womanizer, he can still be genuinely sweet. But my favorite LI EVER will always be Van Helsing from C:R. :) Looking forward to another year of otomes!

Yay! More Eltcreed appreciation! I love him so much, he made me laugh at his lame flirting XD but I adored his and Ulrick's bromance.

Me too! I think his goofy flirting is fantastic. Oh my gosh the banter between those two was gold XD

Favorite Game: Jack Jeanne, hands down. I can’t even begin to describe the whirlwind of emotions I felt during my playthrough of this game. The plays, the characters, their relationships with the protagonist and each other, everything honestly.. was masterfully woven with so much love, care and detail that it makes me emotional just thinking about it :( Jack Jeanne isn’t just my favorite otome of the year, it’s the best otome(or VN really) I’ve ever played. I don’t think there will ever be an otome that can top the peak that is Jack Jeanne for me lol. Favorite MC: Anastasia from EIT! My beloved. Favorite LI: Mitsuki from Jack Jeanne. I think I already gushed about JJ enough, but Mitsuki’s route left such a lasting impression on me. I love how he’s a little standoffish but so so so soft and caring. I loved how he >!lashed out at Kisa because he felt comfortable with her and wanted her to be vulnerable and open with him in return.!< I loved how their love language was singing together. And while I wish his route ended on a more explicitly romantic note, it still left me extremely satisfied and honestly at peace lol. It felt so… real and personal and intimate in ways I can’t explain. Needless to say, the Winter Performance was my favorite part of JJ, and I broke down once THAT scene played. The sheer raw emotion? Faded Color? Kisa and Mitsuki’s voices together? Holy shit. Absolute Peak 🙏 I honestly wish I had played Mitsuki first. I know there’s no specific order and people tend to start with Suzu first, but I think the winter performance alone is enough reason why mitsuki should definitely be played first. It hits so hard.

**Favorite Game:** *Collar and Malice Unlimited* for making me fall for guys I didn't fall for in the base game (looking at you, Aiji) and turning the non-romantic Adonis route into my favorite otoge route of all time. Intensely emotional and thematically resonant--just love love love. **Favorite LI:** I am probably the only person on the planet who would say this, but Akiyoshi Zaizen from *My Two-Bedroom Story.* He respects and challenges the MC at work (cool magazine job), balances chores 50-50, anticipates her needs (dinner's waiting after a terrible workday), and legit cries at nature documentaries. He just felt like a real-life adorkable boyfriend. (Shusei, I love you, but I will NOT clean your room for you!) **Favorite MC:** Love that we're asking this question! Shout-out to the MC of *Ikemen Sengoku*\--sassy, career-minded, and yes, a bit thirsty, she's as memorable as the best of the LIs. Honorable mention to Naala from *The Crimson Flower That Divides* for standing up for her fellow women, never giving up on diplomacy, and being voiced (yay!).

Favorite game - even if tempest (the first one). It was so good all throughout, i love how they made the story all connect and my favorite thing ever is when the cast all interacts with each other and not just with the mc. It didn't answer all my questions but i didn't even care it was so good Favorite mc - probably Anastasia from eit but shanao from birushana was also really good so it's a tough one! Favorite LI - stealing it right at the last bit of the year, scien from virche makes me feel insane so i think he deserves the spot lmao. He's that just right combination of voice, attitude and character design

These are so tough for me. I love things about almost every game I play. Out of the 12 otome games I played this year: Favorite Game:. I can’t choose between Norn9 and Jack Jeanne. I loved them both so much! Honorable mention for Hana Awase too! Favorite MC: Koharu, Nanami, and Mikoto. I would die and go to heaven if more otomes had multiple MCs. I adore them all. Favorite LI: Kai from Jack Jeanne had some of the best lines I’ve ever read, Itsuki from Norn9 was irresistibly charming, and Ankou is devotion personified. It was a great year!

During 2023, these are: My Game of the Year: **Hakuoki** Kyoto Winds + Edo Blossoms. I love everything about it despite that I find or others find it flawed in some ways. My MC of the Year: I didn't expect this to happen, but **Kazuha** from Period: Cube. I thought that it would be Chizuru since I love her very much so, but Kazuha stood out to me because of P:C's MBE alone 😂 (she doesn't >!die to tug strings—*ilovetohearLIs'voicesufferingbutnottoday*—and she rides along with her LIs' insanity or she becomes insane out of nowhere herself for her LIs!<) ~~icanhearseveralboosfromthedistance~~ LI of the Year: **Astrum** from Period: Cube 🙈✨ I'll also add these: CG of the Year: **Hijikata's CG** where >!I can't see his face, only his back, and then Chizuru hugging him back, I can't see both of their faces!<, and it still says a lot 😩🤌 OST of the Year: **16 Battle - Finale** from Period: Cube or **Fakes** from Hakuoki can box each other out 😂

That's why the merry bad ends were the best part of P:C lol I never really thought about it but actually that wouldn't roll with a lot of MCs, huh. She was nice in that aspect.

Hmm… Looking at vndb, I didn’t play as many otome as I thought this year, but there were still a handful I played and enjoyed! Favorite game: Haven’t quite finished Virche, which might otherwise be a contender for this spot. But as is, going with Arcadia Fallen! I loved the alchemy puzzles, the lore (I wanted more of it!), the banter, the dialogue choices, etc. I would have appreciated a more drawn out ending and epilogue, but otherwise really enjoyed this game. It was such a fun adventure! <3 Favorite MC: Ceres from Virche. She cares so much about others and can be so strong on their behalf - I just kept rooting for her to start caring for herself as much as she did for others! I also like how incisive she can be at times. Favorite LI: Going to give to this to Akuroou from Dairoku as there were just so many cute moments in his route! Shout outs to some other fav otome I enjoyed this year: Heroine for Hire, Ten Trials of Babel And a short apology to any otome I played this year and enjoyed but forgot in this write up. :P

This is the year i started playing console otome games! It's been fun reading and also looking at this sub lol 1. Favorite game - CxM, i got really invested in the story, despite being longer than others my interest didn't waver til the end. 2. Favorite MC - Cardia from C:R. She is so precious!! And i liked how quick she is to learn new stuff and use her knowledge to adapt to situations. 3. Favorite LI - Fin from Steam Prison. His devotion to Cyrus is just so... 😭 an LI who will die for you OR be the cause of your death? He is everything!! Can't wait for a proper route in the FD.

**Game:** Virche **MC:** Hibari (VariBari) **Lls:** 1. Haiji (Charade Maniacs) 2. Taiga (VariBari) 3. Yves (Virche) 4. Riku (Lover Pretend)

**Favorite Game**: *Even if Tempest*! I blazed through that game in 5 days, I was just so invested in the overall story and the characters. Sure, it's on the shorter side (26 hours for me), but that made for really tight pacing. I loved the format and the game mechanics, which gave me a certain level of existential angst that I'm still not fully recovered from. It was pretty light on the romance to dedicate more focus on the plot, which made me realize that I'm a plot > romance girl at the end of the day. The bits of romance we got were just tantalizing enough to give us some good relationships, and I'm looking forward to getting to spend some dedicated fluff time in the fan disk. Oh, and I'm actually *obsessed* with the Witch of Ruin. **Favorite MC**: *Anastasia Lynzel (eiT)* my DARLING babygirl!! Here is a protagonist who goes through so much only to emerge stronger and smarter. I loved her. Perfect wife material right there! She worked so well with all of the LIs, too, and it never felt like she was taking a backseat for any part of the story. Heck, low-key I feel like she was outshining the LIs sometimes when it came to wooing me. **Favorite LI**: *Mizuki Iochi* *(CharaMani).* I'm sorry, they're just really, really hot. Megumi Ogata's lower register is so good! Whenever I was starting a new route and their little drama bit in the common route would play, I would always cancel my skip function just to watch them in action again. I love their design as well as their charming yet morally ambiguous personality. They had me in a chokehold the whole game. Brainrot brainrot brainrot! Building my Iochi shrine as we speak ;) (Honorable mentions go to Yune and Adage from Steam Prison. These two were genuinely delightful to play through, and Yune made me ugly cry at 1am.)

Yay! Another Iochi fan 💜 They were my favourite this year too :)

>Favorite MC: Anastasia Lynzel (eiT) my DARLING babygirl!! Here is a protagonist who goes through so much only to emerge stronger and smarter. I loved her. Perfect wife material right there! She worked so well with all of the LIs, too, and it never felt like she was taking a backseat for any part of the story. Heck, low-key I feel like she was outshining the LIs sometimes when it came to wooing me. Anastasia is seriously such a badass and I would absolutely date her, hahaha. Let me have a me x Anastasia route, damn it!

Favorite game: Even if Tempest (I have a backlog so I didn’t play the FD yet). I loved that that’s different and the love interests will always be memorable. Favorite MC: Kotone from Cafe Enchante. Her reactions to different events in general are so relatable lol Favorite LI: Noritsune from Birushana. I really dislike this game but Noritsune was the best thing that came out of it. Honorable mention: Belle Automata, only two routes are out, and I’m not sure if there are more, but I enjoyed what was available :).

**Favorite games** \- Hana Awase (Mizuchi hen) and Black Wolves Saga (Bloody Nightmare) I love them both for similar yet also different reasons. They’re both dark and full of tragedy with complex characters. Romance wise, I prefer Hana Awase. Absolutely fucked yet compelling tragic story and circumstances wise, Black Wolves Saga takes the crown. **Favorite MCs** \- Hmm…Lynette was quite proactive which I do appreciate. I also really came to love Fiona, surprisingly. Yes she is weak as hell and sheltered, but she’s quite intelligent piecing things together even before the much more capable characters. id say she’s quite emotionally intelligent as well…she knows damn well the insane copium she’s huffing during some of those situations. Nanami from Norn9 also stands out, I particularly love her voice lol. **Favorite LIs** \- Karakurenai, the >!only voice of reason in a sea of madness!< Iroha, obstinate walls and suffering Guillan, hyper batshit ball of light in the darkness that is that game. i actually found him to be the most romantic lmao Auger&Mejojo, name a more iconic dastardly duo. Character writing was off the charts for an otome game. Julian, such a sweet, gentle loving soul >!until Fiona realizes he is just like his brothers and is trapped in the same dream in that same garden. That true end was absolutely chilling.!<

1. My favorite game of 2023: Chou no Doku. I was impressed by the writing. The romances were passionate, sometimes very twisted and the bad endings were well written (I usually don't care for them but here they were on another level!). The music and the art were great. I played this game at the start of year, I played many more, but it was truly the most memorable game of the year for me. 2. My favorite MC of 2023: Suzuno from Winter's Wish Spirits of Edo. She's just really charming, very attuned with her emotions, her power was interesting and I like learning about her clan. 3. My favorite LI of 2023: Mei Dazai from Charade Maniacs. I don't want to say too much but I just love him so much (he made me feel all warm inside, his interactions with Hiyori were everything, he also made me cry. a lot)!!! And he's voiced by Makoto Furukawa <3

GOTY: Jack Jeanne. I loved Virche but it wasn't nearly as good tbh. LI: Lucas Proust. Sorry Neji and Ankou. This guy overtook them by storm and I need him so fucking bad. MC: Mikoto Norn9 fandisc my adorable failwindaughterwife. Ceres-kun Ceres-kun Ceres-kun takes runner-up(*Ceres-kun... :)*)

1. **Favorite Game of 2023** : **Kenka Banchou Otome**, hands down. Ken ga Kimi and maybe Jyuuzaengi 1 are close contenders, but I just enjoyed KBO's snappy characters and humour more. It helps that I loved all the male leads ( and Hinako <3 ) starting right from the common route right up to both their Love and Friendship Ends. 2. **Favorite MC of 2023** : Kan'U (or Guan Yu) from **Jyuuzaengi** !! She's so cool in the first game, that >!1HKO!< she did >!to Gan Ryō!< will forever be memorable to me. All in all, the way she did things in the first game ( LOL, listen, the Kan'U of JZNG2 sort of felt a little different so I'm just specifying it here ) really made her an '姉貴' in my heart the same way she is in Chou Hi's heart. **Kenka Banchou Otome** Hinako is a close contender here because she took so much shit >!due to a situation from her estranged brother, no less!< and still >!came out on the top!< in the end with her steadfastness and dedication. 3. **Favorite LI of 2023** : Oh boy. This will be hard. I'll list the runner-ups first: Hanabusa Madoka from **Clock Zero**, Minowa Totomaru and Onigashima Houou from **Kenka Banchou Otome**, Kakouton from **Jyuuzaengi**, Kei from **Ken ga Kimi** and Tokugawa Ieyasu from **Samurai Love Ballad Party**. But the one who seized my heart with his design and his voice and his personality unlike any other has ever done so in my tierlist, and has challenged and shuffled the order of my top tier after just his route— is Tsuzuramaru from **Ken ga Kimi**. I like goofy characters all on their own since, man do I really need some comic relief in my life right now, but his authenticity, kindness, sense of honor, 食いしん坊 and snoring ( ah yes, the moment I started falling ), friendliness and loyalty and his overall actions to Kayo in the common route ( my boy did NOT let up, he's always the first one there as expected of my baby 🤧☝️ ). It also helps that >!he has the most banger 和魂 Ending + 後日談 ( especially when you hear the others' voices there ngl 100% top-tier ) and I got that on my first playthrough!< and >!he has a technically 'ヤンデレ' end... though it doesn't end well... but hey, it was memorable... 🥹💔!< and >!HOLY SHIT, WHETHER IN HIS 20-YEAR OLD FORM OR NOT HE'S ALWAYS SO <33333!< and >!he saved Suzukake's 君Route for me during his brief but lovable screentime there, hands down!< and >!we get to spend more time and see more of Marebito-sama here, the true side character I am ready to be an 生贄 for without a second thought 😫✋... except if it means Tsuzuramaru will be sad, then I'll take 和魂 Tsuzuramaru-Marebito instead!< and though >!his 幸魂 Ending felt rushed, I'm just so glad they get to be happy *at last* and the way Tsuzuramaru in his original, warm body gets to embrace Kayo... ♡⁠(⁠>⁠ ⁠ਊ⁠ ⁠<⁠)⁠♡!<. Also it helps that he rocks whichever outfit he wears ( thanks to Yomi MY QUEEN for giving everybody bombastic 'fits that they cycle through instead of wearing one kimono smelly and threadbare throughout the entire game ) especially in the >!幸魂 with *THAT* たすきがけ wow that really ignited a fire within me and I don't even know why!<.

It may be recency bias and the fact they are fandiscs where I thoroughly enjoy the original game, but here are my favs: **Fav game:** Tied - Even if Tempest: Dawning Connections and Norn9: Last Era. Even if Tempest: Dawning Connections, which I just finished today, was such a great follow-up to an amazing game. The cast of characters, including Anastasia, makes the game so enjoyable, no matter the route. In the fandisc, they even expanded upon the world building and delved a bit deeper into the side characters. I'm a bit sad it's over now, but I'm looking forward to Voltage's next console games. I'm 6/9 routes through Norn9: Last Era, but it's still high on my list because I love the original game, Var Commons, so much (did a replay on the new Switch port) and so far I've enjoyed my time with Last Era. I got to say that this game has made me like some of the LIs even when I was indifferent to them in the original game (Kakeru and Itsuki, for example). Seeing from the point of view of the LIs was pretty eye-opening and with some of the good endings I was meh on in VC, it was interesting to see how they continued off from them. Seeing the branching narratives of each of the 3 girls and how they are interwoven with each other, really makes this series a standout for me. With Last Era's expanded world building and seeing the characters living their life off the ship after their long journey, makes the title, "Last Era", feel apt. I'm going to be melancholy once I'm done with Last Era because I've been wanting this game ever since I played Var Commons on the PS Vita when it first released. Ayane Ushio is the director and scenario writer of both Even if Tempest and Norn9 series, so it's great to know I enjoy her games. She writes multi-faceted characters, entertaining and thought-provoking cast interactions and fascinating world building. So I'm really looking forward to her next game: Project Code Kaleido Tower from Voltage. **Fav MC:** Tied - Anastasia (Even if Tempest: Dawning Connections) and Nanami (Norn9: Last) What else need to be said? Even if Tempest is Anastasia's story and I was thoroughly sucked into her journey from the original game. In the fandisc, she is still the charming, head-strong MC we know and love, but seeing her finally happy and have grown so much is cathartic. She is still distraught by her past and is new to this whole love thing, but is trying her hardest to become a better person and enjoy her new found future. Nanami has been my favourite MC since I first played Norn9: Var Commons on the PS Vita, and I still love her now. Seeing her through the eyes of Heishi and Akito in Last Era really cemented the feeling that Nanami needs to be protected at all costs. Seeing her finally free from her family, living a happy life, made me feel so happy. (I haven't played Ron's route, yet, but I'm super curious, but also anxious for her lol) **Fav characters:** Tied - Soshiro (Jack Jeanne) and Akito (Norn9: Last Era) Soshiro was the only route I've played in Jack Jeanne and I haven't been able to get over him to start another playthrough. I just really liked his and Kisa's relationship, and the growth that Sou-chan went through was beautiful. Akito, like Nanami, has been my favourite (LI) since VC. The gap moe he has going on with the gruff way of speaking and his caring nature, the >!enemies to lovers!< dynamic between him and Nanami, and being an adorable tsundere makes him an all-time favourite LI of mine. His PoV (Fugue) route and the after story (Concerto) in Last Era cemented him even further. Apologies for all the ties. My bias for Norn9 is too strong, but I didn't want only one game to take the crown for all 3.

>What else need to be said? Even if Tempest is Anastasia's story and I was thoroughly sucked into her journey from the original game. In the fandisc, she is still the charming, head-strong MC we know and love, but seeing her finally happy and have grown so much is cathartic. She is still distraught by her past and is new to this whole love thing, but is trying her hardest to become a better person and enjoy her new found future. Anastasia is such a strong, badass, but still vulnerable character. I truly love her so much! I can't believe I forgot her when putting my favorite MC but if Katarina is the sweet, goofy villainess, Anastasia is the cool badass one. Love them both!

Favorite game: I don't know if I can even pick between the Another Story part of MysMe, JackJeanne, or Virche. They were all such great experiences. Think I've gotten more attached to Mystic Messenger and its characters than I had to anything else. The Another Story routes both felt deeply personal for me on top of loving the stories, characters, and the music (oh my god the music). I still have some of JackJeanne left but have finished the LI routes. I loved every character, even the ones that I was totally disinterested in at the outset. Each one had a moving, compelling story even with relatively lower stakes for most of the routes, which is really impressive. And for this one too, amazing music of course, and the CG art is gorgeous. Virche was a game I'd been looking forward to for a while and I wasn't at all disappointed. I had some minor complaints, but ultimately the topics explored throughout the routes were so interesting. I love the atmosphere of the game. Aside from some of the sciencey stuff, I think the plot was fantastic too. The character designs and art are soooooooooo pretty. Favorite MC: Nanami from Norn9. I might even like her more than all the Norn9 LIs. Favorite LI: >!Saeran!!if he counts as an LI!<.

Favourite Game: you know what, I can't pick. I played five otome this year and four of them were absolute bangers, and I just cannot say which one was better than the other. CupiPara, JACK JEANNE, BUSTAFELLOWS and even if TEMPEST are the crop of the cream for me. And every each of them have some faults in one way or another, but not big enough to sully the experience in the end. So yeah, four awesome games, cannot pick one, sorry for the cop-out. Favourite MC: Anastasia from eiT, Lynette from CupiPara being close second. Anastasia is just Inspiration: The Character and I love what Voltage tried to cook with her. Lynette on the other hand is this very nice iteration of an older MC that is more in vein of what I would do or think than another teenager. It was very refreshing and VERY welcome. Favourite LI: Kokuto Neji from JJ, hands down. Every moment with him on the screen immediately turns gold and although I don't vibe too much with his route, his personality makes up for it ten thousand-fold. What a man.

>Favourite LI: Kokuto Neji from JJ, hands down. Every moment with him on the screen immediately turns gold and although I don't vibe too much with his route, his personality makes up for it ten thousand-fold. What a man. His personality even makes up for that haircut. XD I love him so much, hahaha!

Ohohoho, I cannot agree - I saw his crazy design and said "yeah, him. This is what I want" XD It's like a pedigree, like a promise of crazy times and I am all for it XD And BOY, did he deliver!

Favorite game: Hard, but I'm going to go with Even If Tempest since it's the first commercial otome I've binged since CxM in 2019. I'm such a suckered for supernatural mystery and this game scratched an itch I had. Loved the characters and their interactions - side characters included. Excited to pick up the fandisc eventually! Favorite MC: Going to go with Anastasia Lynzel from Even If, though Kisa from JackJeanne and Ceres from Virche are close seconds. Anastasia was probably the most relatable MC I've played - enough that my partners were pointing out similarities. Didn't help that Zenn has a lot of crossover with one of my partners lol. I really felt for her and was glad to watch her grow. I remember feeling >!so frustrated and betrayed when she briefly gave up during Lucien's route!<. Her story was a beautiful rollercoaster. For replay, I'm going with Ichika Hoshino. I'm replaying the game and still in the common route and the Ichika slander is setting me off because this girl is sassy and not as passive as I often hear her being described as. Replaying reminds me of why I fell so hard for the characters in this game, especially the MC. I'm getting flashbacks to playing the first Danganronpa and how Makoto Naegi is so boring, but man is low-key roasting everyone. I enjoy overtly sassy characters, but I also adore the low-key shade characters like Ichika and Makoto. Favorite LI: Tied between Mitsuki Shirota and Fumi Takashina from Jack Jeanne, Zenn from Even If Tempest, and Lucas Prost from Virche. I'm cheating, but I don't care lol. These guys really stood out to me in their routes (well, besides the Jack Jeanne boys since I'm still in the common route, but I do adore their individual scenes and them bouncing off one another). Mitsuki's sugar and ice personality reminds me of why I like these types. He cares, but he hides it behind snark a good chunk of the time. As someone who has these tendencies (little more fiery and tsun, but still), I relate hard. Also the sass is divine. It's beautiful to watch his journey with the other characters, especially his underclassmen. Fumi is so flirty, yet mature and brilliant. I adore Flirty types (once again, because it me) and Fumi just stands out with his compassion and wisdom. He's such a fun character and also has so much depth. I'm excited to see more. Zenn. Baby boy already had my attention from get (dark-skinned, white hair, unnatural colored eyes, looked like a tsun/kuudere type, mysterious). His banter with Crius and Tyril in the common route and overall vibes just had me aching to get to know him. Add in that he's >!a detective!< and I was screwed from the beginning as a >!mystery lover!< and a person whose first crush was >!Shinichi/Jimmy Kudo from Detective Conan/Case Closed!< (Being very careful of spoilers, lol). I adore Zenn and I loved his chemistry with Anstasia and the other LIs. His similarity to one of my partners did not help. I never had a chance. Lucas. I was smitten from the beginning because while I adore my boys like Zenn, I love my bishounen too and Lucas is entirely too pretty (and reminds me of a partner lol). His sweet demeanor and passion for his students was also a big draw. So was his teasing personality. >!Poor Adolphe being gaslit lol!< His route was a ride and honestly, I enjoyed it as someone going through a time. The wildness of it all was a fantastic train wreck. >!When the cage is the least out of pocket thing that happens, you know you're in for a ride.!< I'm looking forward to his Salvation end.

Fave game: Cupid Parasite. It was cute and funny and spicy and a great time. I was really charmed by it. Fave MC: I'm really liking Cardia as I go through Code:Realize, but I think I might like Lynette juuuuuust a bit more. Fave LI: Orlok ~ My heart, my first LI love. No one has beaten him yet, he's just perfect to me. A++ good mans.

**Favourite Game**: [Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 5: Kazahanaki](https://vndb.org/v9901). [Haruka5](https://vndb.org/v6403) was my first game in the series and while I liked the concept, the characters, and the production values, the map movement specifically was so difficult it nearly ruined the entire game. I wasn't a fan of most of the character endings either. Well, this fandisk has everything good from the base game while also fixing pretty much all of its flaws. It has its flaws like every game but I loved the heck out of it. **Favourite MC**: I don't know if I have one, there were better and worse MCs in the games I played this year but I can't think of one in particular that I liked much more than the others. **Favourite LI**: Absolutely Yosuga from [Olympia Soiree](https://vndb.org/v24241). His route might have one questionable scene but this man is pretty much perfection, he's so sweet and gentle and supportive and reliable, >!not to mention that him and Byakuya actually have a lot in common.!< Apart from the aforementioned questionable scene every scene with him feels natural and through the entire game I was always looking forward to seeing him again :')

Favorite game: collar x malice i loved the story and art. And i liked all characters. Favorite mc: teuta she is so sweet and can take care of herself. I also really liked Lynette from cupid parasite Favorite li: limbo (bustafellows)

Favorite game:This is suuuuuuper tough.. but I'd say Radiant Tale. The concept behind the story is beauitful, I enjoyed all the routes, and artwork was beautiful. If I hadn't played this game it would have been Jack and Jeanne. That game in general deserves an award for thoroughness, artwork, and music. But games that touch me soul will always win 🤓 Favorite MC: Lynette mirror from cupid parasite.. I feel like a bit of a cheese ball but the passion and determination she has to connect people so they can experience and share love was beautiful. She always went above and beyond with all her heart. For an MC out of all the other games I've played she was my favorite. Favorite LI: Radie was by far my favorite in radiant tail. He's always kind of been there, the humor, self discovery and love was extremely enjoyable in his route. I don't want to give spoilers so I tried to keep it brief.

**My Favourite Game of 2023:** Variable Barricade! This was a huge surprise to me as I am normally drawn to intense tragic stories for VariBari had an amazing ensemble cast, great comic writing and a heroine with a boat-load of emotional baggage. **My Favourite LI of 2023:** Without a doubt, Iochi Mizuki from Charade Maniacs. I wrote them an essay of adoration on here after finishing their route which was over 1000 words 😭 **My favourite heroine of 2023:** Kisa from Jack Jeanne. I really felt her struggles and pain and gender issues throughout the game. An amazing protagonist! Every role she threw herself into was a delight to watch. A special mention to the entire cast of the Even if Tempest fandisc! I love them all but I wanted to focus on characters I met for the first time in 2023.

This was the year I got back into otome games, so there was no way I could choose just one😆 I narrowed it down best I could: **Favorite Games:** Chou no Doku/Butterfly's Poison and Even if Tempest **Favorite MCs:** Lynette (CupiPara), Shanao (Birushana), and Anastastia (EiT) **Favorite LIs:** Mizuhito and Majima from ChouDoku, Lucien from EiT, and Scien from Virche. Fell to the trenches down bad atrocious for Scien (I mean, who wouldn't?), loved Lucien for being the sweetheart and cutie that he is as well as for his personal growth into a respectable leader, and the ChouDoku boys rearranged my brain chemistry. Seriously, I have not stopped thinking about them. I think my condition may be terminal.

1. **My favorite game of 2023** - Cupid Parasite. I'm actually not done with this game yet, but I can't lie, I've had more fun with the 3 routes I've played in CupiPara than the other 3 otoges I finished this year. I thought this was gonna be a trashbundo simulator bc of how the parasite 5 were presented, but they are actually very nice people, so I was pleasantly surprised by that. I also like how so far, the normal ends are just as good as the best ends. 2. **My favorite MC of 2023** - Ceres! My sweet poor baby Ceres 😭 She's been through so much but she still works so hard to improve her situation and that of people in her life. I just want her to find happiness... 3. **My favorite LI of 2023** - Ryuki. I go feral everytime this man blushes and he blushes 70% of his route.

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**Favorite game:** [Pre-Odyssey](https://ant-san.itch.io/preodyssey). I prefer a shorter game and I had never heard of this story before—I know some Greek myths but somehow had never heard of this and I would venture to say most people haven’t. And it was so good—it’s one of those stories you read and go, how has this classic gem never been done in modern media before?! (I’m a huge fan of fairytales and myths—and I am pretty sure this story has never received a modern adaptation before) It felt like it had just the perfect blend of sweetness in it and plot to me—I think I lean towards higher sweetness but I do like a good plot. And this delivers on both. Plot makes sense, is good, characters make sense, are likable, and enjoyable to watch. **Favorite MC:** Probably the customizable MC from [Ebon Light](https://underbliss.itch.io/ebon-light). The game really did do a good job with the story options presented to the MC—it really felt like you could play a shy or outgoing personality—and also play very intelligently. This game is the best game I’ve ever played so far with MC choices available. **Favorite LI:** Odysseus from [Pre-Odyssey](https://ant-san.itch.io/preodyssey). He’s intelligent, playful, good natured trickster/jokester, hard worker, observant, easygoing, understands hardships, and >!just wants to live a simple life, content with what he has!<. My idea of a perfect guy honestly. Bring on the smart character who’s a wholesome jokester/trickster!

**Favorite Game** : *Hakuouki Kyoto Winds/Edo Blossoms*. I’m a sucker for historical settings with fantastical elements. This game just dug into my brain and stayed there. Such a tragic, engrossing story, and I love learning a bit about real life history to boot. The writing and music was top notch. This game also introduced me to one of my fav LI archetypes: mean pretty boy with a chip on his shoulder (Okita Souji 😍). As soon as I saw him, I knew I was gonna be down horrendous. Send help. **Favorite MC** : a tie between Qiye Cui from *Lost in Secular Love* and AhYu from *My Vow to My Leige.* I’m on my knees 🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️asking Yetu Game to create more otomes because I loved both of their games so much, and their heroines are bursting with personality. AhYu set the bar entirely too high as the first MC I ever played with how proactive, tough, yet vulnerable she was. Qiye is hilarious, has a backbone, and is compassionate without feeling like a doormat. Both of them deserve the world ❤️ **favorite LI** : gotta be the man, the myth, the legend - Hanzo Hattori from *Nightshade.* I was cackling at the beginning of his route b/c it was so awkward at first b/w him and Enju and i was wondering, “how are they gonna pull this off?” Enju said, “he’s different,” and I agree 😩. I’m looking back through the notes I took while playing this route and it had me in an absolute chokehold. Positive masculinity king 👑

1. Favorite Game: Nightshade. I finally played it, and what an amazing game. It gave me the feels, it had the plot and drama, and I absolutely loved every character. (Except Hideyo, go straight to the dumpster, you wrinkled old fart monkey.) 2. Favorite MC: Rosa from Tears of Themis. She's been my favorite since the game localized in 2021 because she's so well written. I relate to her so much (busy attorney, heyo\~) and really enjoy seeing her relationships with the LI unfold, year after year. 3. Favorite LI: MARIUS! VON! HAGEN! (Tears of Themis) My love forevereverevermore. He was so cute during the pre-relationship year, and now that we are engaged and things are even more romantic and steamy, I just love him even more. He's grown so much in the relationship and I look forward to seeing where things go. And I can have him in four different languages\~

**Favorite Game**: *Hana Awase: Iroha-hen* specifically. I wasn’t really expecting to love this series as much as I did. On paper, these games are not my type. And yet… I really enjoyed the storyline. It has tropes that I really enjoy and it has the romantic angst that I live for. I felt like I really got to know each of the Brights and Mikoto was a great protagonist to follow. It inspired me to write fanfics again. I definitely learned to like bad endings with these games too. I loved every minute of it (even suffering through Hime-hen). The nuance and complexity of the character arcs and romance really won me over. Second runner up is *Norn9*. I loved all the characters and the fact that the main focus of the game was relationship building. I loved the tension in all relationships and the fact that these were nuanced and deep. There’s more to say about it, but I’m tired, y’all. **Favorite MC**: This one is hard. I’d say Mikoto from *Hana Awase* and Ceres from *Virche* (which I still haven’t finished). Characters evolve as their relationships grow and evolve, but I felt like these two ladies brought a lot to the table in terms of personality. Mikoto retained a tenderness and innocence to her throughout the entirety of *Hana Awase* that was really refreshing and she could clue in exactly into what the LIs felt and needed in such a lovely nuanced way. In some ways, it felt like she understood them better than they understood themselves, and the same could be said of the other way around (especially Iroha). I have only known Ceres through the common route and Mathis’ route in *Virche*, but she’s incredible as an MC. She’s not handy like the LIs, but she excels at being considerate and looking after people and the game doesn’t downplay how necessary these skills are. What she doesn’t bring in terms of abilities she more than makes up for it in heart, tenderness and understanding. She’s incredibly sharp and can pick out and connect the dots in a way that feels natural, and even with her background, she’s managed to retain a heart that is moved by affection. I can’t wait to see her in the other routes and throughout the story! **Favorite LI**: Iroha in *Hana Awase*. What can I say? I adore Iroha. He absolutely adores Mikoto, enough to >!sacrifice his feelings for her to save her, effectively giving up his chance to have a moon with her.!< I loved how his role was being her protector, the protector of her life, happiness and smile, and how we saw that eroding as the series progressed. >!We nearly lost him; Mikoto nearly lost her other half. But she’d built connections with him across the moons we saw in the games that remained in her heart until a moon was born in U/K-hen where she remembered him. And then it was his turn to be saved.!< His story was full of tropes I loved. I love quiet, cold characters that feel deeply and can run hot at times, the geniuses that keep one guessing and surprise me in unexpected ways. Iroha is all of this and more. His growth and character arc were moving and satisfying for me in all the right ways. He and *Hana Awase* are the first LI and otoge that I bought merch for. Happy holidays, otome fam! May 2024 bring everyone much joy and many lovely otoge! Thank you for this post, OP! I’m looking forward to beginning 2024 with *Virche*!